The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1887-09-11
TREASURY AGENTS REPORT.
The Alaska Sealing Grounds.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9.-The annual re-
port of George X. Tingle, treasury agent
in charge of the Alaska seal islands, has
been received. The agent says the ti:ne
has come when the lessees of the islands
should be authorized to employ addi-
tional natives, and teach them the busi-
ness of sealing, as death has played sad
havoc with the native sealcrs of the
islands. The system of payment TO ma
tives is criticised for its bad effects upon
them, and it is held that it would be JUS
tice to allow the natives of Onnalaska to
be employed and paid on the same foot
ing with the natives of st. Paul island.
The mortality among the natives for
st. Paul is said to have been very large,
while it is remarkable fact that not u
single death from disease has occurred
among the white inhabitants since the
transfer of Alaska TO the United States.
From measurements made by Assistant
Agent Noyes, it appears that the grand
total of breeding seals on st. Paul and
st. George islands last spring was 1851, :
$50; but in transmitting this statement
Mr.. Tingle adds that deduction of one
fourth would bring the number closer to
the truth. Whilst on two rookeries there
is some falling off, it is certain that this
vast number of animals is still in ex-
istence.
Mr.. Tingle says: THE department
cannot place too high estimates on the
value of this seal property, and the gov
ernment, am sure, will not yield to any
demands which would make it possible
to accomplish the destruction of the seal
rookeries and seal life. which, under judi
cious management and protection by law,
may be continued indefinitely"
A large part of the report is devoted TO
history of the seizure of marauding
vessels by the revenue cutters. The
agent says that after the departure OF
the revenue cutter last fall, large num-
bers of seal were taken by British mar
auders and the skins sold in Victoria
One vessel sent her boats to the rookeries
but they were fired upon by natives and
two men wounded. This fact became
known generally among the marauders,
and served to keep them at a safe dis
tance from the rookeries. Up to August
four steamers had been seen operating
around St.Paul island this season. One
of these vessels, the Angel Dolly, of San
Francisco, was seized by the agent, who
boarded her with the help of the Alaska
Commercial Company steamer st. Paul.
The vessel was in distress, as the captain
had been accidentally shot and one man
wounded while leaving Otter island,
where they had been killing seals. This
made the seventh capture this season,
the revenue cutter Rush having previ-
ously taken six, which were sent TO Sitka
for trial. They were the American
schooner Challenge, with 1J0 skins; the
British schooner AnnG Beck, $50 skins;
the w. III. SdlUyer, 479 skins; Dolphin,
GOO skins; Grace, 76 skins, and the Ameri-
can schooner Lottie L, 179 skins.
The agent suggests the advisability of
providing a small steamship, armed with
rifle cannon, as the schooners were kill
ing seal in plain view of st. Paul island,
while the Rush was protecting st. George
island. 1t is said that 10000 skins would
be a low estimate of those taken this
season by marauders, and he adds: 1.-The
significance of these figures will be un-
derstood, when the fact is borne In mind
that only one in ten seal killed is Sc
cured"
In O supplemental report dated San
Francisco, August 19, the agent says that
on the 18th of August the American
schooner Annd, with $50 skins, was
brought into port, having been seized by
the Rush. She reported the seizure OF
the British schooners Mdry Ellen, 495
skins, and Alfred adams, 14c0 skins
The cutter also captured 400 skins landed
on an island by the British schooner
Lottie Fairfield, in Behring sea, making
la total of 800 skins seized during the sea-
son.
The number of seals killed during the
year by the lessees was 104, ,S29, and the
number of skins accepted ss good was
100000.